Music

Tuesday, March 28, 2006

There are a lot of country artists I came to know and love while sitting and drinking coffee with my grandma in her kitchen, listening to her tell stories of how she grew up, how she fell in love, built her house from the ground up with her husband, how they tamed their little corner of the world, how he died tragically, and how she managed to carry on. Those artists, and their subject matter, and their style of playing—roots country, honky-tonk and folk—all became intertwined, the tales of romantic entanglement, heartbreak and loss and religious redemption merging with my grandma’s own stories to provide the soundtrack for my vivid imagining of her life story. Buck Owens was one of those artists, and he died this past Saturday at the age of 76. Here are the first five reasons why I’ll miss him.

1) “(I’ve Got a) TIGER BY THE TAIL” (1964; Harlan Howard, Buck Owens) from the album I’ve Got a Tiger by the Tail

A classic Bakersfield stomp. My grandma and I used to dance to this one in her living room-- one time we jumped up and down so hard that we loosened the stovepipe from the wall fitting.I've got a tiger by the tail, it's plain to seeI won't be much when you get through with meWell, I'm a-losin’ weight and I'm turnin’ mighty paleLooks like I've got a tiger by the tail

Well, I thought the day I met you, you were meek as a lambJust the kind to fit my dreams and plansNow the pace we're livin' takes the wind from my sailsAnd it looks like I've got a tiger by the tail

Well, every night you drag me where the bright lights are foundThere ain't no way to slow you downI'm about as helpless as a leaf in a gale, and it looks like I've got a tiger by the tail

2) “PHFFT! YOU WERE GONE” (1966; Susan Heather) from the album Too Old to Cut the Mustard, Buck Owens and Buddy Alan

Buck and Buddy cut this one in 1966, but it went on to greater fame when it was adopted as the signature tune for one of the most enduring comedy bits on Buck’s extremely popular country variety show Hee Haw.

I know that you loved me, here's my way of knowin’The proofs hangin’ out right there on the lineWhen I see the snow and feel the wind blowin’Your nighties huggin’ them long-johns of mine

The noises you made at our supper tableYour habits, my dear, were surely absurdBut how many times do I have to tell youSoup is a dish to be seen and not heard

Where, oh, where are you tonight?Why did you leave me here all alone?I searched the world over and I thought I'd found true loveYou met another and—Phfft! You were gone

Its imagery possibly influenced by the films of Sergio Leone, Clint Eastwood seemingly returned the favor with the tall, dark stranger of his own film, High Plains Drifter. And I don’t remember if Stephen King made specific mention of this song in his novel The Stand, but it’s hard to believe he didn’t at least have Owens’ song rattling in the back of his mind somewhere when he conceived of the terrifying Randall Flagg.

They say a tall dark stranger is a demon And that a devil rides closely by his sideWith no warning he can strike like the thief in the nightThen jump up on his pony and ride, ride, rideSo beware of a tall dark stranger...So don't let no stranger hang around

4) “CRYIN’ TIME” (1964; Buck Owens) (from the album I’ve Got a Tiger by the Tail

Another classic weeper that my grandma used to spin for me. She used to tell me that she thought Buck Owens looked kind of goofy, but his voice told a different story. I like to think this is one of the songs she was thinking of when she said that.

Oh, it's cryin’ time againYou're gonna leave meI can see that far-away look in your eyesI can tell by the way you hold me, darlin’That it won't be long before it's cryin’ time

5) “ETERNAL VACATION” (1965; Buck Owens) from the album Dust On Mother’s Bible

Buck, like many a great country artist, knew about old-time religion, and it’s hard for me not to hear this one on the wind these days…

Some people are taking vacation traveling both far and nearNever stop and think about Jesus, never say him to have a careIt seems that I cannot be like them while on Earth life's burdens I bearAnd I prepare to meet Jesus and rest eternally thereYes, someday I'll take a vacation one that never will end

And now, thanks to the good folks at YouTube.com, Buck Owens and the Buckaroos, featuring Don Rich on guitar and harmony, Doyle Holly, Willie Cantu and Tom Brumley on the steel, from 1966— a live version of “(I’ve Got a) Tiger by the Tail,” just because.

13 comments:

blaaagh
said...

Ah, that video is great, and loved reading your memories of listening to Buck Owens with your grandma. I can just see the two of you dancing and stomping around to that song in her wonderful old house. Thanks for a touching piece.

One of my fondest--or most vivid--memories of childhood involves lying prone on my living room floor, chin propped on my hands, staring up at Buck and Roy and the whole Hee Haw Gang (Archie Campbell! Grandpa Jones! Lulu Roman! The Hagar Twins!) pickin' and grinin' on the TV.

Even though I didn't fully appreciate it at the time--watching was basically a mandate from my Dad--the music was truly first rate (even if the comedy was pretty corn-pone).

Consequently, after a breif period of denial in my teens, I had kind of an old-school country renaissance in my 20s, spearheaded by Steve Earle and Dwight Yokham. Needless to say, Buck Owens was, and remains, at the center of it.

If I might be so bold, I'd like to offer a reason #6; one I think you'll find dovetails nicely with the theme of your blog:

ACT NATURALLYThey're gonna put me in the moviesThey're gonna make a big star outta meWe'll make a film about a man who's sad and lonelyAnd I'll I gotta do is act naturally.

Well, I'll bet you I'm gonna be a big starMight win an Oscar, you can('t) never tellThe movie's gonna make me a big star'Cause I can play the part so well.

Great post, and tribute to your grandma, Dennis.I'm currently listening to "Streets of Bakersfield" by Yoakam with Buck Owens on it.I like Buck Owens a lot but don't have one of his CDs.Care to recommend one?

girish & blaaah, I am not Dennis, but I share the same sweet grandma that Dennis did, and I highly recommend "The Buck Owens Collection" (1959-1990) from Rhino Records which features the following songs: "Second Fiddle", "Above and Beyond", "Act Naturally", "Together Again", "Ive Got a Tiger by the Tail", "Cryin Time", "Rollin in my Sweet Baby's Arms", "Streets of Bakersfield", and more. I recently saw this set advertized on Amazon.com for around $40.00. They might not last long now.

Girish: That box set is undoubtedly grand-- I never got around to picking it up, though I was mighty tempted on more than one occasion. But assuming you're not looking to go for a whole career overview right off the bat, I'd have to recommend I've Got a Tiger by the Tail for a superb studio representation of Owens' Bakersfield brand of crisply cut honky tonk (many of the same Buckaroos on the album, including Don Rich, were also featured in that video clip). I Don't Care is an excellent showcase for the Buckaroos. If you're interested in Owens' gospel leanings, Dust on Mother's Bible is a terrific record. And Owens' catalog features a trifecta of live albums-- In Japan, In London and Live at Carnegie Hall that are outstanding documents of his band's musicianship and the clarion folksiness and authority of his vocals. (Here's a link to his entire discography, complete with track listings and assessments of each album.)